we are running out of time and the fiscal cliff talks are still caught between somewhere and nowhere. it is friday, december 28. this is "now." joining me today, white house correspondent important buzz feeds zeke miller. politico's maggie and georgetown university professor michael eric dyson. irene carmone of salon. new year's resolution important congress, kick the habit of procrastinating. >> coming up against a hard deadline here and as i said, this is a conversation we should have had months ago. >> that was senator mitch mcconnell reflecting on why congress has done so little in those 514 days since it passed the bunt control act. that legislation, of course, machine dated those automatic

arbitrary spending cuts supposed to motivate congress tone act some kind of comprehensive budget reform. it hasn't worked out had a way. we are now four days away if the fiscal curb. this is the first time all of the congressional leaders met with the president since november 16 in a post-election session. and new this morning, cnbc's john heart swood reporting a mini deal could be in the works. without it like a 60 to 90-day deal and include some tax raises basically for those making about $400 $400,000 or more. this morning a few senators in both parties struck a hopeful tone about the meetings. >> getting a little more optimistic today. >> i think that it is encouraging that people are talking. >> talk is good but on substance, little has changed. >> problem has not been democrats being willing to do cuts. the problem is receive gnaws.

we believe this isn't a revenue issue. this is a spending issue. >> house republicans also called their members back to washington for work this sunday. that was after democrats blasted speaker boehner for their absence just yesterday. >> mr. speaker, we ought to be here. working. addressing these challenges. >> we are here in washington working. while the members of the house of representatives are out watching movies and watching their kids play soccer and basketball and doing all kinds of things. they should be here. >> meanwhile, some analysts say the washington waiting game is already dampening the economic outlook. take a look at this. consumer confidence has now hit the lowest level since august. according to a report from the conference board. so new year's eve is usually one time when everyone can cheer together. let's be real. if congress drops the ball before the ball drops this year,

americans will have yet another reason to feel divided and frustrated with their leaders. we had the election and holidays. now the question is whether congress will make a new year's resolution to actually get things done. we have a great panel assembled here. i want to start with you, maggie. no one is dash optimistic. senators have to say that as opposed to admitting things don't look good as we just reported there are indications from at least a pew gop sources that there is this deal on the table. 400,000 at the tax level would not be very favorable to the president's so-called final offer. what do you make of it? >> i think that -- i make of it we are hitting hard deadline and i think all sides are aware this will be problematic for everybody. i think you can make the argument it will be worse for republicans long term than in the short term. markets will open on wednesday and it will be a mess. it will be a mess going forward. nobody wants this to continue. however, neither side will escape without blame if weaned

up with the deal just discussed. this is a mini deal. this does not deal with a lot of issues on both sides. and it -- punts the debt ceiling discussion down the road. >> mini deals almost sounds like a good buzz feed slide show. we can look at mini deals throughout history. and -- at times that -- >> we will work on it. >> i want to be clear about what -- what nbc news is learning at this juncture. as i mentioned, gop source had reported, you know, by john hardwood, gop source had indicated that -- a mini deal was sort of on the table. to be clear, that's one source. the white house has also indicated to nbc news that they don't see any new movement here on a deal. democrats go into a private caucus this afternoon. so there is a lot moving but, zeke, what do you make of at least at this juncture of the white house telling nbc news they don't see something on the table that's actionable? >> brings you back to yesterday where we spent better part of the day debating whether or not or trying to figure out whether or not there was a deal that was

offered by the white house based upon a senator's facebook post and again, was was there a meeting, in the a meeting going back whether or not that -- members of congress meet the president today. that's where we are right now. we just don't know just -- much of anything. though this deal if it is, in fact, true, is a sign of progress. and probably does indicate that maybe we are reach something sort of end game of the fiscal cliff. >> this 400,000 number, professor dyson, this is not the president's number. this is way past the red line. i'm not reporting that it is happening. but i am reporting that it is being floated as another republican offer. if -- i want to be clear. these things move around. maggie, ju just laughing at me. >> the season to be jolly. it is friday. >> yeah. if we can't part take in the jolly who among us can? professor dyson, 400-k, if that's being floated and way

past the red line for the re-elected president, what do you make of the politics of this? >> 401-k is right if that's what if you are trying to retire. that's ridiculous. the president's number, as you said was 250,000 if you are going to go old school street lottery. therefore, drew some advantage. the reality is that the president is arguing with, i think, the wind at his back and he needs to use his bully pulpit here. many democrats are afraid the president may squander too much in the attempt to be bipartisan. this congress is not bipartisan. there are a lot of lame ducks out there that want to really besm besmerch his reputation before he goes against the knight. >> let's look at what the lame ducks are fighting for and put some of our ducks in a row. look up on the screen we will put the most recent deals. just to remind everyone where we are at. if you look at spending cuts

first, barack obama has basically moved about $325 billion on spending and speaker boehner, according to the last real public offer, has moved about $350 billion. i think it is fair to say had both moved relatively equally. but if you turned to tax increases, obama has already moved from, again the last public real offer $355 billion while boehner's moved only $150 billion. less than half. and then finally, and i want to go to you to unpack this. the stimulus money. this is not to be forgotten. we are in a recession. and many economists say that whatever else you do with long-term entitlement reform which is real, another real thing is growing the economy. obama has moved $250 billion. the number that boehner has moved on that stimulus is zero from the last final comprehensive offer. what do you make of that pacting that we are not mere the 50-yard line anymore? >> we also add that not only has

boehner month moved, he can't get his own caucus to vote on the plan he brought forward. we are not only talking about symbolic gestures here, we are talking about someone that not only has not been able to deliver his own votes but isn't particularly interested in working with nancy pelosi to get moderate democrats onboard. again, we are talking about very symbolic things. i think john boehner is far more interested in preserving his speakership, waiting until we go over the cliff and everyone can blame each other all the way through. it would be better for everyone if we didn't have discussions about social insurance and/or entitlements at gunpoint with two days to

>> that's the views from -- a very -- very strong conservative voice. >> that's giving the president a lot of credit here. the president wants a deal, doesn't want to go into the

second term, january with the fiscal cliff looming and dealing with the cpi or, you know, raising the medicare eligibility. doesn't want the discussions to cloud up his other agenda, rest of his agenda, things like immigration. gun control if that does survive into the new year. so -- right now looking at some of the things that have been floated -- that -- that harvard from reported basically that's the president getting stimulus aspects of it. the payroll taxes is going away. making sure that -- things like unemployment insurance, huge stimulus for the economy, one of the highest multipliers, if that was gone we would have -- you know, we would be dumping back into another recession the president is a fan of abraham lincoln but creating a civil war is hyperbolic even for charles krauthammer. where is that guy? can we sign him up? where is he lurking now? the reality is this man has been willing to compromise to the chagrin of those progressives on

and on the left so much of the political capital he's generated as a result of his re-election, again, in deference to the common good. he's looking out for the american people but the problem is here that the republicans to -- borrow the phrase here, at gunpoint. literally have us with -- if we want assault bans, let's ban the assault of the right-wing element of the conservative party against president obama by holding hostage american interests here. >> they got enough of that last year and clearly haven't. >> let's move off the gun analsy, maggie, and move towards something our last president said which was -- fool me once, shame on me. shame on you. don't fool me again. >> exact line which was -- >> yeah. but it is important because -- president bush ended by saying don't fool me again. there is a feeling in politics that you can always mess up once. washington is a tough place for

new presidents. this is not a new president anymore. this is not a new battle over the fact that you have people who, i think, it is fair to say have announced publicly that they will threaten our -- credit rating and our economy to some degree depending on your analysis of what the fiscal cliff means to get the policies they want. why is it -- i ask you this seriously. i don't know the answer. why does it seem like the president still doesn't get that? >> for whatever reason, it is hard important me to delve too deeply into psychology here but -- this president has always approached washington in a bit after different mindset. i think the lesson he took from the election might be different from what his supporters hoped to take from this election. there tends to be certain instant great pit indication component in terms of how the white house deals with these things. they are looking at the short term. i think that zeke's point, though, is correct. there are things the white house does get. i do think that it is important to bear in mind that there will be blames run around.

i think republicans will end up looking as if they are holding things up but -- when the economy is going to get upended next week if things don't happen the way they should, even if there is no mini deal, no anything, that's bad for the country and bad for the president it just is. i think that's where they are coming up to. >> that's the hard place that -- >> i think that's right. that's -- i think that -- i think it is very hard for him to look at that and not feel like he needs to move ahead and do something. i think also the idea that this president is creating a civil war and that that's his game here. i think that's a nice byproduct perhaps for the president. but -- you know, the problems -- among the republican conference has nothing to do with what the president has done. within the republican party. that will continue for months and months and months. the president can count on that even with the -- short-term deal. >> that's an important point because any -- in-fighting among the republicans will continue but not necessarily give the president in the short run. stay with us. we are going to talk about something very important.

latest push for an assault weapons ban. political attacks on gun regulation continue. and what is the outlook for new action on what many people feel is paramount issue of our time? that's next on "now." [ male announcer ] feeling like a shadow of your former self?

c'mon, michael! get in the game! [ male announcer ] don't have the hops for hoops with your buddies? lost your appetite for romance?

and your mood is on its way down. you might not just be getting older. you might have a treatable condition called low testosterone or low t. millions of men, forty-five or older, may have low t. so talk to your doctor about low t. hey, michael! [ male announcer ] and step out of the shadows. hi! how are you? [ male announcer ] learn more at isitlowt.com. [ laughs ] hey!

i believe in people's lawful right to bear arms and i will not take your shotgun away. i will not take your rifle away. i won't take your handgun away. there's common sense gun safety laws that i believe in. but i am not going to take your guns away. if you want to find an excuse

not to vote for me, don't use that one. because that just ain't true. >> aware of the intense politics surrounding gun control, president obama vowed to support the rights of gun owners during his first term and his first campaign. but after the first term started, it is very clear that he lived up to that promise in a big way. the brady campaign gave him an "f" in 2010 for his record on gun regulation. but he didn't please gun advocates either. the nra gave him an "f" on his most recent report card. those two grades tell you a lot about the state of today's gun control debate. now after the mass murder of children at sandy hook elementary school the president is doing something different. he is taking a louder stand the that might endear him to at least one side of the debate. and next month he plans to introduce a gun control agenda and highlight it during the state of the union. meanwhile, california senator dianne feinstein's planning to introduce a bill had a would ban assault weapons as expected.

conservative groups are already taking aim at it. on the drudge report, for example, one headline reads civil war senate to go for handguns. now, we were just talking about conservative rhetoric on a different civil war earlier. let's put war aside. let's put the militant language aside and let's talk about what is happening here, maggie. as you know, people follow this debate remember the original assault weapons ban which was itself considered very cosmetic. it was essentially at bottom a ten-year hiatus. it didn't take guns out of circulation. interest didn't deal with the gun show loopholes, background checks, lot of the issues that have come up after this mass murder i mentioned. and even that passed by just two votes. what's different now? >> well, what's different now is we had a spate of these shootings. what's different now frank sly 20 dead children. it is unimaginable, unimaginable, i think, for anybody.

what's also different is the nra which has a history speaking to its members as lapierre was doing in the press conference. members that spoke to me afterwards, republicans, were -- sort of appall bid the press conference. bothered by it and felt it was the wrong time and wrong tone and fair amount of criticism even on the pages of the "wall street journal" editorial page about that. rupert murdoch suddenly has become very pro-gun control and your seeing that on the front page of the new york post, murdoch paper. we will see whether that translates to fox news which i think would end up being a big difference. i do think there is -- there is a change in the rhetoric. we will see what the president does. that is what will tell us whether there is a significant difference or whether there is just a conversation. i realize that as you said, he has said something that appeals more to a certain side of the debate but what is going to matter is the details. what will matter is the exact proposal. >> as you said, lot of eyes are on the president and in the senate where senator feinstein

has a proposal a lot of eyes are watching and wondering whether there will be action this time. i want on bring a special guest here. senator maria cantwell. joining from us the hill, i know you were doing votes. thanks for being here. >> thanks. how are you? >> doing well. let's start with gun control and i -- should mention everyone at home full disclosure, i worked for senator cantwell a decade ago. it is a treat to have you on. on the serious -- some you were at least 16 at the time. >> at least. but we will count it and google it later. on this issue, you, of course, voted for the original assault weapons ban. some people said that was an issue in your house race which you did lose that we are definitely as -- ads run against you but it was '94. a lot of other issues in a wave election. what do you think about the politics of gun regulation, you as a longtime supporter, do you think senator feinstein can work with the president in january to make a change on what has been a frozen issue?

>> well, i think, bill, you know, it is not -- as if there hasn't been discussion in the last -- since the ban lapsed. it is really the question now as to get movement in the congress and so i think talking about a comprehensive approach, talking about mental ill must as well, i think would help get the discussion going and in a broader sense and bring all of our colleagues along. >> and -- let's take a look at -- one point that has come up in the shift since these mass murders. there is a new poll out from gallup this week that shows quite a bit of movement. when you ask people they think in essence gun law should be made more strict, broad question, you know have 58% of americans saying yes. gun laws should be made more strict. and that's a 14-point jump since last year. only 34% now essentially backing the status quo. how do you translate that soar of broad based openness in the

capital where you and i know and everyone watching knows the nra still seems to have a lot of impact, they score these votes, not only on guns, they score the holder contempt vote, they score a lot of things and seem to move members of both parties. >> yeah. listen, i was not a big fan of -- i voted no on allowing guns in national parks. we actually had a woman who died in the northwest, backpacking and a young person thought she was an animal and shot her dead. that was an example recently of a change in my opinion in the other direction. i think instead of drawing lines right now and instead of -- you know, we had these incredible tragedies, what we immediate to do is come together and say how do we want to respond. i'm hoping if we take that approach, that -- my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will look at this and say we can do better than what we currently have. >> and, senator, i want to switch gears since we are here talking today and you are going into the private democratic caucus meeting shortly to

discuss maybe a potential deal on the fiscal cliff. of course you are on the finance and commerce committees. what do you think can happen at this late stage? are there -- we were talking before and we had a panelist on earlier, mike leonard dyson, saying he doesn't think 400,000 or 500,000 as a cutoff is a good idea. the president previously said he doesn't want to work on tax necessary that way. that's one thing that has been floated. what do you think will happen? can and are we going to see any kind of deal? >> i think in the next couple of hours will be a critical time period because both parties are having their afternoon meetings and then leadership will go down to the white house and i would just encourage everybody to still put things on the table. even if it is a smaller package. i would certainly take, you know, a half a loaf at this point in time and dash punt the rest until we get to major tax reform and come up with the rest of the savings. i would do that because i think

giving people predictability and certainty in the marketplace is -- is a very good idea. and buy something confidence we can't act. because aside from the fiscal cliff issue, is this larger question of whether congress could act. i hope the senate does act. i hope that these meetings this afternoon, that both caucuses will come out saying that the senate should pass something. and not get all hung up on what boehner does. but actually pass something. >> yeah. we get hung up on speaker boehner sometimes. i want to push you on that because something a lot of people say, though, is that if we did this once, a big deal, 500 days, down to the wire, we didn't get a breakthrough, there are a lot of folks, including democrats who say well, why would a 60 or 90-day deal be any good? doesn't this just replay -- i take your point on the certainty of the markets in the short run -- >> go ahead. >> no, no. i'm saying more of -- half a loaf. the president has been talking about a very large deal, $1.6

trillion. if you get $800 billion now and say $800 billion later in tax reform, i would go for that. and i -- i would certainly encourage my colleagues to do that. >> understood. because -- because your time is limited going back to vote, i want to move to another issue. sometimes we only react to the latest story on the cliff. but another issue that's important to a lot of people and you have been working on is violence against women act. there has been a lot of movement on that. on the senate side. and the house which is we have been reporting basically closed for business, you know, lot of americans don't get as much holiday time as speaker boehner has been giving the house. they haven't taken up any meaningful action to my knowledge on that bill. can you tell us about that and whether the new congress has any better prospect force the violence against women act? >> there's two bills there i'm very concerned about. there is a bill regarding human trafficking and the violence against women act. two things very important to have in place because without that law enforcement doesn't have the tools that it needs to

prosecute these crimes. and so we don't want women to feel left out because congress can't agree. we need to get the house to move legislation and to pass both of these bills. >> and one of the hang-ups has been the idea of working in some legal protections for other communities and including gay communities. where does that stand? does that get stripped out of the bill to try to appease the house? >> just a few -- last week, before we left for the holidays, all the women -- democratic senators got together to say we are not going to leave out certain classes of people like immigrants. you know, we in the northwest had a couple of incidents well, where these male order brides, whoym had come to the united states at the request of a man ended up being murdered by them. now, all of a sudden people are saying, you know, we are not -- we are not going to get these people the same kinds of rights or these visas are an issue. what we are saying is if someone

is here in the united states, as an immigrant and they have been a victim of abuse, the prosecutor should be able to work with that immigrant and be able to protect not just them but future women who might be subject to the same kind of attack by this same individual. so -- this is -- you know, the women are going to push hard. the women senators really care about this issue and we are going to be unite. >> understood. we will keep an eye on that and i thank you again for making time for us on a busy day in the senate. >> all right. good luck. >> thank you. we will talk about hillary clinton who is getting set to get back to work next week. the question is not if but when the gop will counter the 2016 talk. we will discuss that just ahead on "now."

perhaps an ominous sign for democrats, some republicans are looking past the fiscal cliff entirely and getting ready for the next fight. senator bob corker spoke moments ago on capitol hill. >> we immediate to do something in the 4 1/2 to $5 trillion range. so we can begin this year with this and in the rear view mirror and our economy really has the opportunity to take off. i think it is apparent that on these -- december 29 without anything that's bold in place, that's probably not going to happen. so, unfortunately, for america, the next line in the sand will be the debt ceiling. secretary geithner sent up a letter. it is probably around mid march action has to be taken. >> we are going to keep an eye on that. he will keep talking. we will bring you the highlights. first, though, this is going to be pretty hot. we have singer/songwriter, a man you are going to want to hear from whose biography could serve as a life lesson in and of itself.

john forte joins us next on "now."

john forte grew up in brooklyn and made it to exeter academy on a violin scholarship and was a bram any nominated producer. he got a dream assignment for any brooklyn boy writing the anthem. the new jersey nets tapped him to compote a new anthem for the team's move to the barclay center in brooklyn. his song "brooklyn something to lean on" plays every time they warm up. he has been touring. his latest album "at the time water suite" came out last year. he is the first to emphasize things have not always been this good. after making it big in the music business he was convict order a drug trafficking charge. it was a first time nonviolence offense sentenced to 14 years in

prison. >> the time for me in prison and -- i try not to speak -- while you were away, it was a serious time of introspection for me and it was -- a clear moment in my adult life where hi the opportunity to ask myself the hard questions. i had to go through this serious phase of deacon instruction before i could ever seriously walk a path of rebuilding. >> now under the original federal sentence, forte should still be in prison today. he's pre. making music and speaking out about reforming the criminal justice system. now welcome john forte to the table. thank you for being here. >> thank you for having me. >> let's start right there. why are you here? >> that's such a loaded question. why am i here? >> 14 years in prison but you are out. >> i'm here because i was blessed with a sentence communetation by former president george w. bush.

that came november 24, 2008. i celebrated my fourth year home on december 22, 2008. and -- it is not lost on me. every single day i feel like i have been blessed to have this opportunity not only for myself but for the countless people who are still serving time in the state and federal system -- particularly for drug offenses, nonviolent offenses, and -- i think that every day i'm out here, it is -- part and parcel to do some work in their honor because will are plenty of deserving people who -- who should have or should be entitled toing a second chance. >> let's look at some of the numbers on that point because there's would stories about people in prison. there is a story about people who do bad things and get sent to prison and there is a story about politicians deciding we should just send a lot more people to prison. if you look at the shift aggregate from 1972 to 2008, we

have seen mainly because of drug sentencing laws the prison population in the united states go up not double, not triple, but go up by seven times. according to one pew study, nonpartisan group, annual state and federal spending on corrections has also grown by 300% during the past two decades to about $52 billion. what do you think is the cost, not only that financial cost, i just mentioned but societal cost of deciding to create laws, particularly the mandatory minimums and three strikes laws for nonviolent offenders that incarcerate so many people. >> well, i think that what -- when we are witnessing right now is -- it is a chasm. especially as it relates to perception. where people who make mistakes and i'm not saying that -- that the a prisons are -- absolutely unnecessary. i think that there are people who do violent crimes in particular who -- who deserve to be sequestered from society.

but i think that dab the chasm that's being created is -- more about pro-violent -- i have to use that term in quotes because -- we hear it in the news often. but we are criminalizing people and if you look at the mums, there are lots of people of color who are suffering from this -- criminalization and a -- wearing the scarlet letter far beyond the years they are turfing and i think we have to really reassess, you know, who we are sending away why we are sending them away. and the lengths that they are serving not to mention what is being offered to them or not while they are doing their time. you know. if you send a person into the -- into -- you know, prison system and offer them nothing in order to better themselves, what can they realistically offer upon their return -- society upon their return? you know, it is evidenced in

these -- gross recidivism rates. people go home and then they fall back into the same vicious cycle and return to the prison system. >> you are speaking to such an important point that goes to the core of any theory of prisons which is are we punishing and are we rehabilitating? some people need to be punished. as a society we all have ain't in the rehabilitation part. that's a point that many conservatives make. i want to put up a quote i want you to hear from a very interesting advocate of some reform in had space. conservatives also have concluded that we are locking up a lot of people who don't pose a danger to society. prisons are for people we are afraid of. but we have been filling them with people we are just mad at. there are better ways than prison to hold low-risk offenders accountable, programs that are more effective and a lot cheaper. we won't play quiz show, john, but the person who said that was newt gingrich. he said it recently. and he said it because a lot of

conservatives also are really concerned about this, not as a political partisan issue, but -- as a societal question about what happens. you had not only i president george w. bush weigh in the most fundamental way but you had other allies from the republican party. who are they? >> sure. i -- i -- actually, i -- perhaps the most notable would be senator orrin hatch from utah and -- who is a nonpolitician but spiritual godmother carly simon who is perhaps one of my biggest public advocates while i was away and every day made this her personal crusade in order to garner me support to show people that, you know what, he -- he can be as good as his promise is, if given the second chance. and peopleing to note to that. it wasn't about, you know, all of the efforts that happen order the outside. i think it was also a reflection of what i was attempting to do while i was inside, whether it was -- you know, teaching myself an instrument or teaching critical thinking classes or going back to school. you know, i had the opportunity to go into the london school of

economics in order to pursue my degree. >> let me say from that, and i want to get dyson in here, did senator hatch ever -- >> i don't know. i do know that he is pan of music. and -- he's quite a lyricist. i have seen some of what he has written. and -- it is good. >> i'm not -- >> you can't judge a book by its cover. >> no. i'm smiling but i'm not joking. i want to bring in the professor. i want to bring in the professor because politics often divides people. there are so many other things that bring them together. i hope you don't mind me saying this but people are looking at you as more as than ex-convict because they know something about you and about your talents. a lot of people have talents, professor dyson. what can we do to move the conversation towards the humanity of people, particularly -- what i'm focusing on today, nonviolent offenders to get them back out of society and build laws to

make that happen? >> that's a great point. i think a person like a mr. forte, enormously talented young man, highly articulate young man, who speaks about the politics of redemption. we give chances to a lot of people that mess up in the society and we tend not to give chances to others. non-violent drug offenses have accounted for the incredible stocking of our prisons. and penitentiaries. we have lost penitentiary. we are now prisons and warehousing people. we are making them the big business and expanding them on backs of black and brown people. and non-violent drug offense means, you know, you do some things that the -- amnesty international reportedly young white people are doing but are given a knock on the back. hand, don't do it again. we have to find a way to say let's forgive people.

especially those that have not committed violent crimes. i have a brother that has been serving prison now for 23 years. accused of a violent crime. we think he is innocent but we understand the separation between those who have been accused of violent crimes and those that have done things not worthy of the kind of disproportionate penalty that they receive at the hands of the justice system. >> i want to thank you both. not only for sharing ideas but sharing your life experience which is difficult but vital. thank you for being here, john. >> thank you. >> singer/songe eersinger/songe forte. after the break she may still be on vacation on beapluto. we are bringing you the finer most of 2012 on "now." [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind

automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind.

citi price rewind. is bigger than we think ... sometimelike the flu.fer from with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal. so why treat it like it's a little cold?

there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prescription tamiflu attacks the flu virus at its source. so don't wait. call your doctor right away. tamiflu is prescription medicine for treating the flu in adults and children one year and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing. have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. the flu comes on fast, so ask your doctor about tamiflu. prescription for flu. metaphor cal, plethora of

governors and, of course, hermanator. a few of the top moments from the past year on this show. >> i'm a brother looking for a cigar in a fireplace. >> stuck your hand in the mashed potatoes at the dinner table everyone else starts running their hands through the mashed potatoes. >> what do you make of newt gingrich's comments of mine norts this country? >> nothing. >> you made a terrific point. >> thank you. >> 8.3% unemployment. >> this governor or this governor? >> as a former lieutenant governor i'm sitting here -- >> expression in my profession called flump sweat. >> i would like to have a pro forma session on the show. >> i'm about to get into my coin collection store. and -- when i used to collect

coins -- >> this is ratings gold. >> this is called budget circles and more like bill maher puts pit budget circles. can you feel your ratings going up? can you feel the people tuning in? >> we have go to break. >> awesome. that means i don't get killed by nico nicole. >> coming up, nicole. >> youch. >> you may call medoolittle. >> do we have the photo of the governor's dog? >> that's a dog. >> the composition of this. >> you look swell all the time. >> you are invited back next week. >> i knew i would get back on the show somehow. >> the first thing is the last. >> there are month

alex will be in this chair on monday. please check us out on facebook. luke russert in the chair for andrea mitchell. how are you doing? >> how are you doing? i was waiting for to you break out in fuji la there. good show, always. good job hosting this week, my friend. be well. coming up, let's make a deal. both parties say there is nothing new. what's on the table for the white house this afternoon? latest and how going over the cliff will hurt you come tuesday. we will remember general schwartzkopf of up next.

deal or no deal? down to the wire as president obama and congressional leaders meet at the white house